The parish guide consists of six sessions which form the basic Encuentro 2000 process for the parish setting. The sessions follow the activity calendar designed by the U.S. bishops to help prepare for the celebration of the great jubilee of Jesus' birth. Although designed to be used primarily by parishes as part of the jubilee celebration, the sessions can be adapted for use by any group for almost any setting or meeting. We encourage you to use the Encuentro 2000 process with the many groups active in your parish to promote multicultural dialogue, understanding, and collaboration.

We suggest implementing the sessions in the chronological order presented. However, each parish or particular group can decide which session to use first, based on their particular situation, interest, or jubilee program.

The sessions are based on the following methodology:

1. Welcome: welcome and prayer
   
2. See: sharing our experiences
   
3. Judge: reflecting on our faith tradition
   
4. Act: putting our faith into action
   
5. Evaluate: gathering our experiences
   
6. Celebrate: celebrating our faith as a community.

1. Many Peoples, One Church: Honoring and celebrating our ethnic and cultural differences is to realize that Catholic unity is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
   Objective: To promote knowledge, mutual acceptance, and collaboration among diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups in the faith community.
   
   
2. Living in Solidarity and Hope: Jesus calls us to create a more just and peaceful world that honors and advocates for the dignity of every person.
   Objective: To strengthen the commitment to solidarity and social justice in favor of the most vulnerable among us.
   
   
3. Many Faces in God's House: All Christian life is a journey to the House of the Father, a house for everyone. ( Is. 56, 5-8)
   Objective: To renew the sense of hospitality and welcome that form the faith community.
   
   
4. Sharing our Stories in Christ: The unique history of each catholic community finds a common identity in God's history of salvation.
   Objective: To recognize that the history of each faith community is intimately connected to God's history of salvation.
   
   
5. Christ: The Path to Forgiveness: The joy of each Jubilee comes from the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God and with one another.
   Objective: To realize that forgiveness followed by reconciliation is both a gift from God and a gift to one another.
   
   
6. Bridging the Gap Between Faith and Culture: Living out our faith in all we do creates a culture of life inspired by Gospel values.
   Objective: To renew our commitment to create a culture inspired in Gospel values, by living out our faith in all areas of life.
   

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